James Hird remains as the Essendon coach – for the time being – after Bombers chairman Paul Little said there was “nothing to announce” despite speculation that Hird had been sacked.

The club board will meet next week to discuss Hird’s future after he lodged a formal appeal of the Federal Court ruling on the supplements program investigation.

Despite reports suggesting Hird had been sacked after an emergency board meeting on Thursday morning, the coach emerged from Essendon’s headquarters in Tullamarine stating that he remains in charge of the Bombers, which was later backed up to chairman Paul Little later in the afternoon.

“James Hird is the current coach of the Essendon football club, that’s correct,” Little told reporters.

“The board will be meeting to determine a strategy going forward.

“(It will be) a strategy to determine a lot of things, but in particular, James’s decision to appeal the Federal Court case.”